“It is basically considered of moderate effectiveness, which means 30-40 per cent of cases will be avoided among people who have the vaccine.”

Monday 15 January, 2018: 7:12am

Six branches of Boots were unable to offer the flu jab this weekend, due to a supply shortage, a Sky News investigation revealed.

Boots stores in London, Sheffield, Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and Belfast were affected by the shortage.

London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Leeds branches said the flu jab was currently out of stock, but couldn't confirm when the new supplies would be delivered.

Glasgow and Belfast branches contacted did have the vaccine in stock, but couldn't offer it to new patients due to a backlog.

Friday 12 January, 2018: 4:13pm

St John Ambulance has urged the public to stay at home if they become infected with the Aussie flu virus.

“If you have flu, it is important to treat it by avoiding going out in public and spreading the virus further,” said St John Ambulance’s Clinical Director, Alan Weir.

“Stay at home, keep yourself hydrated and warm, and take the recommend doses of paracetamol.

“If you have any further concerns, call your GP or 111 for medical advice.”

Friday 12 January, 2018: 12:21pm

A person with the virus can spread it to others up to dix feet away.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained: “These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth or nose.”

The health agency recommends people stay away from people with the illness and to stay at home if they themselves are sick.

Friday 12 January, 2018: 11:40am

Dr Ben Coyle, medical director at the Now Healthcare Group, says the flu vaccine can act as protection.

“Yes the jab can help. It may not work in all instances because of the possibilities of the viruses mutating, but you definitely won’t be protected if you don’t have it.

“It’s still available so get it done!” Friday 12 January, 2018: 10:00am

Now, areas of the UK are said to have been hit with Japanese flu.

The strain of flu, which is contracted and spread particularly by children, has hit Greater Manchester, reports Manchester Evening News.

Yamagata or Japanese 'flu is a subtype of Influenza B. Aussie flu is type A.

It has similar symptoms to other sub-types of 'flu but it's generally more mild than A strains, according to Dr Ben Coyle, Medical Director from the Now Healthcare Group.

He added: “Yamagata also tends to affect mainly children and is much more contagious as a result because children spread viruses more easily than adults.

“The vaccine that the NHS is offering to children protects against Yamagata and getting your child vaccinated will protect the wider population because there will be less spread - the vaccine given to adults in the NHS does not have Yamagata protection.

“Management is the usual - washing hands, covering mouth when coughing/sneezing, avoiding the at-risk, and using over the counter medicines like paracetamol for fever and other symptoms.”

Dr Coyle said there is no effective prescription treatment (antibiotics do not work on viruses) but the illness is generally mild and lasts about a week.

The vaccine is available from GPs for 2-3 year olds and schools for 4-8 yr olds and is the best protection against Yamagata.

Friday 12 January, 2018: 8:12am

Most healthy adults may be able to infect other people beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health agency adds: “Children may pass the virus for longer than seven days.

“Symptoms start one to four days after the virus enters the body. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

“Some people can be infected with the fly virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons may still spread the virus to others.”

Flusurvey

Aussie Flu news live: The latest Flusurvey map shows influenza has spread across every UK area

Signs and symptoms of Aussie Flu

Fri, January 5, 2018

Aussie flu symptoms: Nine tell-tale signs you have the virus - including tiredness.

Thursday 11 January, 2018: 5:46pm

Twenty-seven of those deaths came in the first week of January, while one in four flu hospitalisations were caused by Aussie flu.

The number of GP visits for flu, or flu-like symptoms, rose 78 per cent during the first week of January, PHE said.

PHE urged the public to take up the flu jab - it's not too late.

Thursday 11 January, 2018: 3:42pm

There is a British technology that provides protection against the virus - reducing it by 99.99 per cent.

Proven in both clinical studies and real life scenarios, BioCote Silver Ion Antimicrobial Technology makes all kinds of surfaces inhospitable to microbes, including viruses such as H1N1 flu.

Viruses like H1N1 influenza and its derivatives cannot survive on BioCote treated surfaces and technically speaking exposure to BioCote treated materials renders it non-infectious - through protein damage, membrane disruption and DNA interference. And it typically takes just two hours

Aussie flu live: WAshing your hands and using sanitizer will help prevent the spread of infection

Thursday 11 January, 2018: 1:40pm

Prime Minister Theresa May said the flu outbreak is partly to blame for A&E departments missing waiting targets during an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.

She said: “As we know, every year in winter the national health service comes under additional pressure. We have seen the extra pressures that the NHS has come under this year.

One of the issues that determines the extent of that pressure is flu and we have seen in recent days an increase in the number of people presenting at A&E from flu, and the NHS today has launched their national flu campaign. And I would encourage people to act on the advise that the NHS is giving, and also encourage NHS staff who haven’t had the flue vaccine yet to have that vaccine.

We have put more funding into the NHS for these winter pressures. We’re putting more funding into the NHS overall.

Thursday 11 January, 2018: 10:44am

A new “breakthrough device” could be used to treat Aussie Flu, it has been claimed.

The risk of spreading Aussie Flu could be lowered by washing your hands regularly, using warm and soapy water.

Disinfecting hands using hand sanitiser could also lower the risk of the flu virus from spreading.

Using doorhandles with in-built hand sanitisers could put an end to the Aussie Flu virus by significantly reducing the spread, scientists have revealed.

The PullClean smart doorhandles were designed to reduce the spread of viruses and infections in any at-risk area, including hospitals, care homes and schools.

Thursday 11 January, 2018: 9:31am

What is the recovery time of Aussie Flu? While Aussie Flu has spread quickly across Europe, there’s no need to panic, says Medical Director for Bupa UK, Dr Steve Iley.

Speaking to the Evening Standard he said: “There’s no need to panic and for the most of us - symptoms of flu should clear up in about a week.

“People in high risk groups, including the elderly, children, those with chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems and pregnant women should take extra precautions and seek medical help if required.”

Thursday 11 January, 2018: 8:33

As the UK fights Aussie Flu, sales of the flu jab have doubled in the first week of 2018, compared with the same period last year, Superdrug has revealed.

It recorded a “staggering” 166 per cent rise in flu jab sales at the beginning of the year.

Aussie Flu fears were likely to have caused the drastic rise in sales, it claimed. At least 23 people have died from flu in the UK this winter so far.